Elevator.



No. 840,189.- PATENTED JAN. ll,l 1907.

BQH. ALVBY. i BLBVATOR.

2 vSHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES FATENT OFFIOE.

BENJAMIN H. ALVEY, OF'LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALVEY-FERG-USON CO., OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORA- TION OF KENTUCKY.

ELEVATOR.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907?.

Application met July 15,1961. Renewed July 25, 1902. serai it. 116.977.

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN H. ALvEY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson, State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert ains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to appliances for elevating, transferring, distributing, and storing goods.

While especially designed for the handlingI and warehousing of barrels of whisky, it will be understood that the invention may be employed for other purposes.

In order to make myinvention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting myimprovements, in their useful applications, to the particular construction which, for the sake of illustration, I have delineated.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in side view of a skid embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the same on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the hoisting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the skid-bed and contiguous parts. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion ofthe skid-bed.

Referring 4to the drawings, 1 indicates posts arranged in a double row, as in the aisle of a warehouse, of which 2 represents the storing racks or floors constituting two series at different heights, one along each side of the skid. The invention is illustrated as applied to the storing of whisky-barrels. The posts 1 are connected by longitudinal frame members 3, longitudinal top beams 4, and cross-beams 5, the whole constituting a frame A, in which the skid B may be moved up and down. Considered. as a means for transferring the barrels horizontally or along the storing-racks, the device B may be considered as and termed a skid The said device has,l however, a direct elevating function in hoisting the barrels from one height to another, as hereinafter explained. The ends of the rack-beams 2 are or may be secured to the frame and are in proximity to the path of the skid, Fig. 4, whereby barrels or other goods having been elevated to the desired height and moved .along the skid longitudinally to the place where the are to be stored may be readily transferre from the skid to the storing-racks at each side of the aisle.

The skid and goods-transferring device is of the gravity type in which an actuating mechanism is not necessary to the transfer of goods along the same, this transfer being effected by gravity or by pushing the goods along rollers with which the device is provided. This independence of any actuating mechanism allows the transferring device to be elevated bodily, as hereinafter described. It comprises a series of sections b, separately jointed together, whereby one section or part of the skid may be raised toa greater height than another part to cause the goods to move by gravity along the skid to the desired point of delivery, To this end each section b is preferably constructed of longitu dinal side bars 6, separably jointed together by removable pivot-pins 7. Between and in the bars 6 are journaled concave rollers 8, which serve as the immediate supports of the barrels or other goods which may be on the skid. These rollers enable the goods to move freely along the skid by gravity when the same or a section thereof isinclined. Said rollers have peripheral shoulders s, intermediate recessed portions 7', and end cylin drical portions c, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This construction tends to bring back to a central position any package which may get to one side of the device B as it rides along the same on the shoulders s and parts c, ben cause these parts of the rollers have greater speed than the parts 1" of smaller circumference. The skid, which extends substantially from end to end of the frame A, is balanced at suitable intervals by weights 9 on ropes 10, which latter ass overv pulleys 11 12 on the upper part o the frame A and are attached to frames 13, which inclose and support the bars 6 and slide vertically in the frame A, Figs. 2 and 4.

The skid is operated by hoisting-ropes of suitable number and location. I have shown three such ropes at 14, 15, and 16 attached, respectively, to the ends and middle of the skid and running to drums 17 18 19, mounted on the frame A, Figs. 1 and 3. The drumshafts are geared together at 20 and may be simultaneously operated to'raise the whole-r IOO by hand, the weights 9 assisting such opera- A tion. It will be understood that the holes 23 in which the pins 7 fit may be somewhat larger than the pins to give a limited independence of movement to the different sections of the skid. For inclining any section or sections of the skid-bed or for using only a part of the latter the pins 7 at suitable points may be entirely removed, To firmly hold the skid-bed level with any desired rack, I provide the side bars 6 with a movable supporting means adapted for connection with the frame A, racks 2, or other fixed object. This consists, preferably, of a series of arms 25, adapted to rock on a shaft or pivot 26,

the latter mounted on the bars 6, so as to j engage above xed shoulders in the frame A. Such shoulders may be furnished by the ends of the racks 2. The arms 25 may be simultaneously actuated by a rod 27, connecting with another. At the joints 7 the rod 27 is similarly jointed at 28 to allow the abovedescribed independence of movement of the different sets of bars 6. The frames 13 and attached counterbalancing means are arranged one at each of the joints 7.

It will be understood that under ordinary conditions and for most of the uses of my invention the actual hoisting or the greater or heavier part thereof is or may be performed by a hoisting or supplemental elevator orelevating-cage X, Fig. l, from which the barrels or other goods after being elevated are delivered to the distributing-skid B. The heavy Work of hoisting is thus taken from the distributing-skid, although it will be seen that goods may be shifted from a rack at one level to another rack at another level by means of the skid B without the necessity of using the hoisting elevator or cage X.

I am aware of the use of rollers in conveyers for logs and the like and also that it has been proposed to employ rollers upon the surface of a skid to facilitate the delivery of goods therefrom; but I vfirst to devise an elevatable skid device of considerable longitudinal extension and provided with rollers on which goods may be shifted along the skid from one point of debelieve ymyself the 2. The combination of racksor supports at different heights, the guiding-frame, frames vertically movable in the guiding-frame, bars jointed together to form a continuous skidbed and carried in the movable frames, rollers mounted in the said bars and a hoisting mechanism connected with the verticallymovable frames.

3. The combination of racks lor supports at different heights, the guiding-frame, a skidbed vertically movable therein and composed of movably-connected sections provided with rollers, a hoisting mechanism connected with the said bed and means for connecting the said bed with the frame at different heights, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of racks or supports at different heights, a skid arranged along the said supports and provided with rollers 8, and a hoisting mechanism connected with the skid at different points, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN H. ALVEY.

Witnesses:

JAs. G. DUGAN, Trios. S. DUGAN. 

